(Emetophobia Warning! Mentions of sounds ONLY!)
3 weeks later...
"Vivian, we have to get a move on. The custody hearing starts at 10 am- I don't want to be late. Autumn is panicking as is!" Siobhan shouted from the kitchen of their flat.
"I don't know why! Those two have nothing to worry about! Grace couldn't ask for better moms." Vivian rounded the corner with her toothbrush in her mouth. "Not that she can ask. She's three weeks old." She mumbled out. Siobhan rolled her eyes with a small smile.
"I'm still shocked at how quickly this all fell into place. Autumn and Marjorie are really lucky to have such a good lawyer." Vivian groaned, going over to the sink in the kitchen to wash out her mouth.
"Trust me. Bradley is NOT a good lawyer. He's just scummy." Siobhan twisted her lips at the action.
"Why in God's name did you do that?" She pointed to the sink and the toothbrush next to it. Vivian smirked.
"Because you hate it. And because I hate Bradley. I couldn't wait another second to diss on him." Vivian pulled Siobhan close to her, placing a kiss to her forehead. "Are you nervous? Grace is your niece." Siobhan sighed into Vivian's embrace.
"Only by blood now.." Vivian raised an eyebrow.
"No. If anything she is more your family now than when she was in that hospital with Becca's name on her wrist." Confusion sprawled across Siobhan's face as she leaned back to look in Vivian's eyes.
"How do you figure?" Vivian brought a hand up to rest against Siobhan's cheek. Her chest ached at the idea that Siobhan felt less than enough to be considered Grace's family.
"Blood doesn't make family, Siobhan..." She scammed Siobhan's face for a sign of understanding, for a relief that may wash away all guilt and fear. "Love does.." Siobhan stared ahead for a moment as she considered the sentence. Love made a family. Sure, it only made sense. But to a blonde woman who had just learned the meaning of love in her 30's, it was like revelation of epic proportions that there would even be a chance of her still being in Grace's family. Love surrounded her, in every corner she looked there was someone standing in it supporting her- cheering her on. How lucky was she to have a family entirely made of strangers who loved some part of her horrible self? Although, maybe she wasn't so horrible anymore. Maybe she never was.
"We should get going. Marjorie called me twice this morning saying Autumn was too nauseous for coffee. They're going to need us." Siobhan stepped onto her tiptoes to give Vivian a kiss before heading towards the door. Vivian glanced down at the toothbrush next to the sink with a small smile. For months she'd been doing random little things just to poke at Siobhan's last nerve. But not once since she'd come home had Siobhan showed her old colors. She'd been a perfect step mother to Jamie, taking him to and from Nursery every day so Vivian could work without worry. She would make dinner on late shift nights, making sure that Jamie's lactose allergy was first on her priority list to take care of. She truly was proving that she was only a product of her environment prior to Vivian. She showed to others what was given to her, and the person she was now was someone more and more people were growing to love. Vivian couldn't have been more proud of the woman she had become. "VIV! COME ON!"
"Duty calls." Vivian sighed, popping a strawberry into her mouth from the counter. "I'm coming, I'm coming! Gosh!"
**
Courthouses made Siobhan nervous. The bustling craziness of it all felt overwhelming. There were no distinctions between potential murderers or people who simply avoided a parking ticket. The only thing keeping Siobhan grounded was the sight of Autumn cradling Grace in her arms. She gently fawned over the infant, keeping her swaddled tightly in her blanket. She was glowing, motherhood really did suit her. Marjorie was glued to Autumn's side- obsessing over every single noise Grace made. Siobhan found it funny that for someone who never wanted children, she made such an attentive mother. But then again, she loved Autumn so much, it only made sense that a family was what Marjorie would want with her. For a moment the thought crossed her mind of her own baby, and the emptiness she still felt when she thought about it. She had Jamie, yes. But she had just gotten used to the idea that she would have her own child when it was all ripped away.
YOU ARE READING
It's Code For You (Parallel NurseryVerse Series)
Fiksi Penggemar"Roger has been at Siobhan's throat for years now, every day another chance at a tipping point. When tensions hit the fan- the Knight family at each other's throats, where do we find our quiet blonde? Where will Siobhan find solace? Will she ever es...
